Suspender-connection for bridge-cables



(No Modem G. LINDENTHAL.

SU'SPENDER CONNECTION FOR BRIDGEIGABLES. No. 378,697.

Patented Feb. 28, 1888 ...un ||||||lllll|llllIlllIllllllllllfllllllllllllllllllnw mum; fi u FIGS.

INVENTOR,

WITNESSES:

linrrs STATES ATENT tries.

GUSTAV LINDENTHAL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SUSPENDER CONNECTION FOR BRlDGE=CABLES.

SPECIFICATION" forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,697, dated Febi-uary 28, 1888.

Application filed November 23,1887. Serial No. 255,977. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Suspender- Connections forBridge-Cables, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention herein relates to certain improvements in the construction of suspensionbridges wherein the platform or roadway is supported by cables formed of a large number of wires bound firmly together, the roadway or platform being connected to the cable by suspensoryrods. In constructing this class or kind of bridge the requisite number of wires are first stretched from one anchorage to the other, passing over, the supporting piers or abutments. These wires are then carefully bunched and served with wire, thus firmly binding them into a compact cable. The rings carrying the pins or trunnions for the suspensory rods are then tightly secured in place. In order to prevent lateral swaying of the bridge, it is the usual practice to cause cables to converge from the anchorage or piers to the middlethat is to say, the distance between the cables should be greater at the piers than at a point midway of their length, at which point the distance between the cables is approximately that of the platform or roadway. This convergence of the cable is effected by the suspensory rods, which are connected at their lower ends to the beams onwhich the platform is laid.

It will be readily understood from the above that as the rings carrying the suspensory rods are firmly clamped around the cables prior to their being drawn toward each other, the drawing in of the lower ends of the suspensory rods to connect them to beams will twist or torsionally strain the cables; and, further, it is frequently necessary to adjust or shift the rings carrying the suspensory rods longitudinally of the cable. This adj ustment has heretofore been effected by slightly loosening the rings and again securing them after their longitudinal adjustment.

The subject of the invention herein is to provide for the circumferential and longitudinal adjustment of the rings carrying the suspensory rods, thereby avoiding all torsional the wire-serving.

strains and permitting of the easy and ready adjustment of the rings longitudinally of the cables.

In general terms, the invention consists in the construction and combination of devices, all as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, formi ng part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a cable embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. Figs. 3and at are transverse sections on the lines :r x and y 3/, respectively, of Fig. 1; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.

In the practice of my invention the wires for the cable are passed from anchorage to anchorage over the piers or towers in any suitable manner; but in lieu of arranging all the wires for one cable together in one bunch, so to speak, I propose to arrange them in two or more sections, a a, which are subsequently brought together and bound into one cable by This manner of arranging the wires in sections not only facilitates the placing of each wire in its proper place, but also the insertion of the spreading blocks or wedges 2 for the formation of the seats of the trunnionrings. In order that the wires may be properly arranged in sections, I provide angle-pieces 3, formed of sheet-iron, and arrange the wires therein. (See Fig. 7.) These angle pieces are located at points along the cable corresponding to the positions of the trunnion-rings. After all the wires have been arranged in the sections, the spreading blocks or wedges 2 are inserted between the sides of the angle-pieces, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the edges of the angle-pieces are then bent over the outer or large ends of the wedges, in order to prevent their being shifted during the subsequent operations. The sections a are then forced together and the cable served with wire, according to the usual practice. The portion of the cable between the large ends of two adjacent wedges 2 is caused to conform approximately to the shape of the wedges and is wrapped a number of times, as shown, forming a concave seat, t, for the bearingsleeve 5, which is formed in two parts, having their meeting edges overlap, as shown. This bearing-sleeve 5 is provided with flanges '6 along its edges and with two pairs of ribs,

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7, near said edges, said ribs forming grooves. 8, in which wire is tightly wound, thus clamp ing said ring firmly onto its seat and forming abutments operative in the final adjustment of the trunnion-rings 9. These trunnion-rings are formed in two parts, each part or half having one-half of the trunnions formed integral with it, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and the edges of said rings are beveled or inclined, as shown. The parts of the trunnion ring are placed around the bearing-sleeve between the two pairs of rims, and the eyes in the ends of the suspensory rods 10 are slipped over the trunnions or pins 11, said rods being held in place by the nuts 12, screwing onto the threaded ends of the trunnions. The trunnion-rings are made to fit the bearing-sleeves snugly, but free to move circumferentially and longitudi nally thereon.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing that the trunnion-rings will turn freely 011 the sleeves when the lower ends of the suspensory rods are drawn in for connection with the ends of the beams supporting the plat form, thus avoiding a twisting or torsional straining of the cables.

In order to effect the final longitudinal adjustment of the trunnion-rings, wedge-rings 13 are arranged between the edges of the trunnion-rings and the abutments formed by the pairs of ribs 7. These wed ge-rings are formed with radial projecting cars 14 at their ends, and through said ears are passed bolts which serve to draw the parts of the rings together. By tightening up one of said wedge-rings and loosening the other the trunnion-ring can be shifted longitudinally as required, and there held. In lieu of the wedge-rings the trunnionring may be shifted in any other manner and held in position by wrapping wire between it and the abutments.

As fully set forth in an application of even date herewith, I propose protecting the cable with a mantle, 15, formed of sheet metal or other suitable material, the ends of said mantle being bent over and engaging the flanges 6 on the edges of the bearing'sleeve.

I claim as my invention against movement on said cable, and a trun-' nion-ring mounted on the bearing-sleeve, substantially as set forth.

3. A cable for suspension-bridges, in combination with a bearing-sleeve provided with retaining-ribs, and wire wound between said ribs for the purpose of holding the sleeve in place, substantially as set forth.

4. A cable forsuspension-bridges, in combination with a bearing-sleeve provided with abutments near each edge, a trunnion-ring mounted on said sleeve, and means interposed between the abutments and ring for holding the latter in place, substantially as set forth.

5. A cable for suspension-bridges, in combination with a bearing sleeve provided with' abutments, a trunnion-ring mounted on said sleeve, and wedge-rings interposed between the abutments and trunnion-ring for adjusting and holding the latter in place, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a cable formed of a number of wires, angle-pieces dividing said cable into sections, and a wire-serving for securing said sections together, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a cable formed of a number of wires, angle-pieces dividing said cable into sections,wedges oppositely arranged between said sections, and a wireserving, substantially as set forth.

8. A bridge-cable consisting of a number of straight and parallel wires arranged in independent sections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have hereunto set my hand.

GUSTAV LINDENTHAL. Witnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLcortr, R. H. WHITTLESEY. 

